Title: Research in Disabilities Education (RDE)
Subject: Program Solicitation
Date: August 5, 2003
Research in Disabilities Education (RDE)
Program Solicitation
NSF 03-587
Replaces Document 02-177
National Science Foundation
Division of Human Resource Development
Directorate for Education and Human Resources
Letter of Intent Due Date(s) (optional):
March 01, 2004
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
April 16, 2004
SUMMARY OF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
General Information
Program Title:
Research in Disabilities Education (RDE)
Synopsis of Program:
The Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program supports efforts to
increase the participation and achievement of persons with disabilities
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education
and careers. Meritorious projects from a diversity of institutions are
supported via RDE demonstration, enrichment, and information
dissemination (RDE-DEI) standard grants. Promising research efforts may
then be developed further via continuing grants under the
focused-research initiatives (RDE-FRI) program track. Finally, broadly
applicable methods and products are disseminated for widespread use,
commercialization, or inclusion in the activities of program-sponsored
Regional Alliances for persons with disabilities in STEM education
(RDE-RAD). RDE Alliances serve to inform the public, government, and
industry about proven-good practices in the classroom, promote broader
awareness of disabilities issues, and define specific areas of
accessibility and human learning in need of further attention by
educators and the research community.
Cognizant Program Officer(s):
Please see the full text of this funding opportunity for contact
information.
Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s):
47.076 --- Education and Human Resources
Eligibility Information
Organization Limit: See General and Specific
criteria for RDE proposals under Section II. Program Description.
PI Eligibility Limit: See General and Specific criteria for RDE
proposals under Section II. Program Description.
Limit on Number of Proposals: None Specified.
Award Information
Anticipated Type of Award: Standard or Continuing Grant
Estimated Number of Awards: 10 - Five to 6 standard grants (RDE-DEI); 2
to 3 continuing grants (RDE-FRI); and 1 Cooperative Agreements
(RDE-RAD).
Anticipated Funding Amount: $4,900,000 Up to $100,000 per year per award
in RDE-DEI and RDE-FRI; and up to $600,000 per year per award for
RDE-RAD.
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Letters of Intent: Submission of Letters of Intent is optional. Please
see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
Full Proposal Preparation Instructions: Standard GPG Guidelines apply.
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing Requirements: Cost Sharing is not required.
Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not applicable.
Other Budgetary Limitations: Other budgetary limitations apply. Please
see the full text of this solicitation for further information.
C. Due Dates
Letters of Intent (optional): March 01, 2004
Full Proposal Deadline Date(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
April 16, 2004
Proposal Review Information
Merit Review Criteria: National Science Board approved criteria apply.
Award Administration Information
Award Conditions: Standard NSF award conditions apply.
Reporting Requirements: Standard NSF reporting requirements apply.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary of Program Requirements
Introduction
Program Description
Eligibility Information
Award Information
Proposal Preparation and Submission Instructions
Proposal Preparation Instructions
Budgetary Information
Due Dates
FastLane Requirements
Proposal Review Information
NSF Proposal Review Process
Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard
Award Administration Information
Notification of the Award
Award Conditions
Reporting Requirements
Contacts for Additional Information
Other Programs of Interest
I. INTRODUCTION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) strives to ensure the
vitality of the United States in all areas of the scientific and technical
enterprise, including the utilization of the full diversity of the
country's human capital. The programs of the Division of Human Resource
Development (HRD), located in the Directorate for Education and Human
Resources (EHR), contribute to this goal by supporting activities that
increase the participation of communities traditionally underrepresented
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Such
communities include underrepresented minorities, women and girls, and
persons with disabilities.
- Within HRD, the Research in Disabilities Education (RDE) program is
committed to increasing the number of persons with disabilities engaged in
STEM careers by:
- Encouraging needed changes in academic and professional climates;
- Developing the awareness and recognition of the needs and capabilities of
students with disabilities;
- Promoting the accessibility and appropriateness of instructional
materials, media, and educational technologies; and
- Increasing the availability of student-enrichment resources, including
mentoring activities.
In short, RDE efforts are dedicated to changing the factors that
historically have restricted the avenues for approaching STEM disciplines
available to persons with disabilities. Reducing such barriers can foster
the advancement of such individuals as they prepare for engaging careers
in STEM fields. The RDE program is dedicated to providing an enriching,
supportive, and relevant experience in STEM education for persons with
disabilities at all academic levels. Outcomes of the program's diverse
areas of support seek the proportionate and fully inclusive participation
of persons with disabilities in the nation's STEM workforce.
For Fiscal Year (FY) 2004, RDE will support awards for Demonstration,
Enrichment, and Information Dissemination (RDE-DEI); Focused-Research
Initiatives (RDE-FRI); and Regional Alliances for Persons with
Disabilities in STEM education (RDE-RAD).
See Section II. Program Description for details of these program tracks.
II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Previous projects designed to recruit, train, and
retain students with disabilities in STEM activities have consistently
identified common elements that succeed in increasing the number of such
students in STEM education and careers. Key among these activities are:
- Hands-on science experiences in pre-college science education
environments;
- Early identification and nurturing of an interest in STEM in K-12;
Formal research experiences as undergraduates;
- Educating and guiding faculty and caregiver attitudes toward full
inclusion of students with disabilities;
- Inclusive curricula;
- Accessible laboratories;
- Fostering student self advocacy and encouraging peer interaction;
- Coordinated bridge programs between academic levels; and
- Mentoring by successful STEM professionals and students who have
disabilities.
Comprehensive projects that are able to implement most or all of these
elements have demonstrated success in recruiting, training, and retaining
students with disabilities in STEM education. Such projects have
demonstrated particular success in graduating students with disabilities
with baccalaureate degrees leading directly to graduate training or to
employment in STEM fields.
General Criteria for all RDE Proposals
1. The proposal should clearly indicate only one applicable RDE program
track: RDE-DEI, RDE-FRI, or RDE-RAD. Ideally, the applicable
abbreviation will be included in the proposal's title.
2. Supplemental or appended information is limited to 25 pages.
Proposals exceeding this recommended maximum may be returned without
review. Consult the Grant Proposal Guide(GPG) for other guidelines for
proposal submission.
3. All PIs must address other administrative items listed in this
solicitation or the proposals will be returned as non-responsive to the
solicitation.
4. Awards will be made based on the intellectual merit and potential
impact of proposals received and the availability of program funds.
Awards will not necessarily be made in all program categories detailed
in this solicitation.
5. Consult the specfic criteria for each program track, project
evaluation and outcome measures for all RDE proposals as listed below.
Project Evaluation
All proposals submitted to the Research in Disabilities Education program
under any competition must identify the specific project outcomes to be
targeted for each year of the proposed award. Techniques and/or
instruments to be used for measuring these outcomes must be described in
the Project Description as a part of the evaluation plan.
Awardees will be required to participate in a program-level evaluation by
which NSF can assess quantitative gains in relevant measures for students
with disabilities and make qualitative assessments of the process of
change. Projects are expected to have the capability of collecting and
analyzing data derived from program evaluation activities. In addition, it
is expected that each project will complement this effort with its own
formative evaluation extending beyond the progress stipulated in the
proposal.
Outcome Measures
For all RDE proposals, the effort required for developing a research and
evaluation plan and collecting, measuring, and reporting appropriate
outcome data should be supported in the proposed budget. The following are
illustrative of outcome measures to be reported: number of total
participants, including demographics; number of students with disabilities
enrolled in STEM courses; accommodations or assistive-technology used and
their level of success; number of these students obtaining degrees in a
STEM discipline; the number of participants entering graduate school or
careers in STEM fields; and comparable data for activities not directly
supported by the project (i.e., 'control' cohorts).
Similar outcome measures must be reported for participants in
faculty-enhancement activities. Complete citations for journal
publications, conference presentations (date, location, number of
attendees), media coverage, workshops, software developed, survey results,
uniform resource locators (URLs) and other products derived from RDE
support are expected in the project's annual progress reports.Addressing
of relevant educational research questions and publication of such results
in peer-reviewed journals (in mainstream as well as disabilities-related
areas) is especially encouraged.
Demonstration, Enrichment, and Information Dissemination (RDE-DEI)
The goals of RDE awards in the Demonstration, Enrichment, and Information
Dissemination (RDE-DEI) program track are to:
- Further institutionalize products and other educational materials that
promote accessibility to STEM disciplines and career experiences by
students with disabilities;
- Enhance the STEM learning experience for students with disabilities; and
- Disseminate information about model programs, exceptional products,
successful research methods, and proven education practices to a broad
national audience.
Specific Criteria for RDE-DEI Proposals
1. The categories of proposers identified in the Grant Proposal Guide
(GPG) are eligible to submit proposals under the RDE-DEI program tracks.
2. DEI proposals are especially sought that answer questions of national
relevance to disabilities education, with significant applications to
mainstream student populations in STEM. Examples of these areas include:
Defining effective strategies for providing guidance to students with
disabilities seeking advanced study in STEM; determining effective
metrics for gauging the performance and learning outcomes of students
with disabilities; testing improvements to corporate internship
programs, mentoring activities, campus outreach, and professional
development training to make STEM careers more attractive to persons
with disabilities; identifying and testing key elements to changing
faculty and caregiver attitudes about the potential for students with
disabilities in STEM; and improving the statistical reporting of trends
in the attitudes and participation of students and professionals with
disabilities in STEM.
3. PIs may submit only one DEI proposal to each competition.
4. Joint or linked proposals are not permitted in the DEI track and may
be returned without review. Cooperative efforts may instead be presented
as subcontracted components on a single proposal.
5. Proposals from minority-serving institutions, including Historically
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions,
and Tribal Colleges and Universities are especially encouraged to apply.
Focused Research Initiatives (RDE-FRI)
The goals of the RDE awards for Focused Research Initiatives (RDE-FRI) are
to:
- Encourage research and development of specific but utilitarian assistive
technologies that will help persons with disabilities pursue careers in
STEM;
- Build tools for students with disabilities that can quickly be developed
and effectively deployed in the educational environment; and
- Add value to the education of persons with disabilities in STEM.
Proposals to the RDE-FRI track are evaluated on their potential for
solving specific problems in a short period of time (less than 3 years)
with a limited budget (less than $300,000) and the immediate educational
impact of applying this research.
Specific Criteria for RDE-FRI Proposals
1. The categories of proposers identified in the Grant Proposal Guide
(GPG) are eligible to submit proposals under the RDE-FRI program tracks.
2. Proposals with previous support in the form of RDE-DEI planning or
standard grants or prior funding from other disabilities-related
programs are especially encouraged to apply.
Regional Alliances for Persons with Disabilities in STEM Education (RDE-RAD)
RDE supports the design and operation of comprehensive Regional Alliances
for persons with disabilities in STEM education (RDE-RAD). RAD projects
emphasize broader implementation of elements that have proven successful
under prior NSF or other support. These Regional Alliances are conceived
as networks established by universities and colleges with linkages
throughout academe and in partnership with industry, government, and
national research laboratories. Academic partnerships should include
four-year and two-year institutions as well as pre-college educational
entities.
The Alliances must be comprehensive, multidisciplinary programs designed
to: 1) increase the quantity and quality of students with disabilities
receiving associate and baccalaureate degrees in STEM disciplines; and/or
2) identify early potential in STEM students with disabilities, then
nurture such interest with appropriate activities, relevant content, and
advisement for careers or advanced study. To achieve these goals, RDE
Regional Alliances provide comprehensive educational and research
experiences, quality support services for recruitment and retention, and
career-development activities for students, counselors,and faculty alike.
In their project design, proposers are strongly encouraged to give
specific attention to the critical issues that hinder the inclusion and
participation by persons with disabilities in STEM education and careers.
These activities include, but are not limited to:
- Full participation in elementary, secondary, and undergraduate-level
mathematics and science courses;
- Participation in science-enrichment activities through intra- and
extra-curricular, hands-on research experiences;
- Access to appropriate mathematics and science instructional materials,
media, educational technologies, and laboratory experiences;
- Interaction with appropriate role models and mentors;
- Scheduled and drop-in STEM tutorial centers with resources applicable to
students with disabilities;
- Positive, informed, and resourceful attitudes of pre-college teachers,
counselors, and higher education faculty;
- Relevant STEM summer internships, career guidance, and research
experiences for high school and undergraduate students with
disabilities; and
- Bridge programs encouraging coherent transitions between academic levels
and institution types.
RDE Regional Alliances should also conduct appropriate formative and
summative evaluation and research activities to assess the effectiveness
of strategies that improve participation of students with disabilities in
STEM education. Examples of activities that are appropriate in this
category include, but are not limited to:
- Examination of effective methods for teaching science or mathematics so
that students with disabilities perform competitively with other
students on their education level;
- Adaptation of existing science or mathematics curricula so that they are
appropriate for all students including those with disabilities (to be
conducted collaboratively with the publisher or other disseminators to
ensure rapid dissemination of the new products);
- Development or adaptation of educational technology or media to ensure
independent use by students with disabilities;
- Efforts to overcome stereotyping of persons with disabilities among
parents, teachers, peers, and co-workers;
- Provision of science-enrichment activities for students with
disabilities; and
- Exploration of the fullest use of scientists with disabilities as
mentors to improve the interest, performance, and retention of students
with disabilities in STEM education.
Specific Criteria for RDE-RAD Proposals
1. Only U.S. universities and colleges are eligible to submit proposals
to the RAD track of this program as the lead or primary institution for
an Alliance.
2. International cooperation is encouraged, however, the lead
institution should be a college or university within the United States
and its territories. Accordingly, the predominant beneficiaries of the
Alliance should be U.S. students and professionals with disabilities
participating in STEM fields.
3. One institution is expected to submit the RAD proposal on behalf of
the entire Alliance. Joint or linked proposals are not permitted and
will be returned without review. If all or part of the project will be
performed off-campus or away from organizational headquarters, a
rationale for this should be provided.
4. For the purposes of these proposals, the 'region' applied to the
proposed Alliance is at the proposer's discretion. It does not denote
any particular geographic uniqueness and may include intra-state,
multi-state, national or international cooperation between institutions,
industry, associations, non-profit organizations and societies, and
government agencies, as appropriate to the proposed scope of work.
5. Only one RAD proposal may be submitted by a lead institution or PI
for each competition. Other institutions or PIs within a proposal are
not eligible to participate as lead institutions in other RAD proposals
during the same competition.
6. Colleges and universities already participating as a lead or
significant partner within a current RAD award are not eligible to be a
lead institution on a new RAD proposal until their current project
funding has ended.
7. The proposal should describe clearly the role of the all partner
organizations, and should specify the managerial arrangements
contemplated. Partner institutions may be listed as secondary grantees,
co-PIs, or subcontractors, as appropriate.
8. Participant numbers and demographics directly impacted by the
proposal (i.e., not those potentially or ideally reached) should be
accurately estimated and included in the proposal, differentiated by
Alliance partner as appropriate.
9. Evaluation plans for RAD proposals should include cooperative efforts
by advisory boards external as well as internal to the project.
10. Performance metrics for each partner of the proposed Alliance should
also be defined.
III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
See General and Specific criteria for RDE proposals under Section II.
Program Description.
IV. AWARD INFORMATION
RDE-DEI awards are standard grants of up to $100,000 for 1 year (12 months).
Five to 6 such awards are anticipated in FY 2004.
RDE-FRI awards are continuing grants of up to $100,000 per
year for 2 to 3 years (24 to 36 months). Three to 4 such awards are
anticipated in FY 2004.
RDE-RAD awards are Cooperative Agreements of up to 5 years in
length. A budget request of up to $600,000 per year is allowed for a total
of approximately $3 million. One such award is expected in FY 2004.
Estimated program budget, number of awards, and average award
size/duration are subject to the availability of program funds. Proposals
that significantly differ from the recommended duration or amount of
funding stipulated in this solicitation may be returned without review.
V. PROPOSAL PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
A. Proposal Preparation Instructions
Letters of Intent (optional):
Letters of intent may be submitted by U.S. Mail (to 4201 Wilson Blvd.,
Room 815, Arlington VA 22230), fax (to (703) 292-9018), or e-mail (to
ljackson@nsf.gov). Letters of intent are expected to be brief and should
not be developed as pre-proposals. Letters should include the names and
affiliation of the key investigators, a brief (50- to 100-word) summary of
the problem to be addressed, and a statement of the approximate project
duration and funding level sought.
Full Proposal Instructions:
Proposals submitted in response to this program announcement/solicitation
should be prepared and submitted in accordance with the general guidelines
contained in the NSF Grant Proposal Guide (GPG). The complete text of the
GPG is available electronically on the NSF Website at:
http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpg. Paper copies of the GPG may be
obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722
or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
Proposers are reminded to identify the program announcement/solicitation
number (03-587) in the program announcement/solicitation block on the NSF
Cover Sheet For Proposal to the National Science Foundation. Compliance
with this requirement is critical to determining the relevant proposal
processing guidelines. Failure to submit this information may delay
processing.
B. Budgetary Information
Cost Sharing:
Cost sharing is not required in proposals submitted under this Program
Solicitation.
Indirect Cost (F&A) Limitations: Not applicable.
Other Budgetary Limitations:
Other budgetary limitations apply. See II. Program Description and IV.
Award Information for further details.
C. Due Dates
Proposals must be submitted by the following date(s):
Letters of Intent (optional): March 01, 2004
Full Proposal Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. proposer's local time):
April 16, 2004
D. FastLane Requirements
Proposers are required to prepare and submit all
proposals for this announcement/solicitation through the FastLane system.
Detailed instructions for proposal preparation and submission via FastLane
are available at: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/newstan.htm. For FastLane
user support, call the FastLane Help Desk at 1-800-673-6188 or e-mail
fastlane@nsf.gov. The FastLane Help Desk answers general technical
questions related to the use of the FastLane system. Specific questions
related to this program announcement/solicitation should be referred to
the NSF program staff contact(s) listed in Section VIII of this
announcement/solicitation.
Submission of Electronically Signed Cover Sheets. The Authorized
Organizational Representative (AOR) must electronically sign the proposal
Cover Sheet to submit the required proposal certifications (see Chapter
II, Section C of the Grant Proposal Guide for a listing of the
certifications). The AOR must provide the required electronic
certifications within five working days following the electronic
submission of the proposal. Proposers are no longer required to provide a
paper copy of the signed Proposal Cover Sheet to NSF. Further instructions
regarding this process are available on the FastLane Website at:
http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov
VI. PROPOSAL REVIEW INFORMATION
A. NSF Proposal Review Process
Reviews of proposals submitted to NSF are solicited from peers with expertise
in the substantive area of the proposed research or education project. These
reviewers are selected by Program Officers charged with the oversight of
the review process. NSF invites the proposer to suggest, at the time of
submission, the names of appropriate or inappropriate reviewers. Care is
taken to ensure that reviewers have no conflicts with the proposer.
Special efforts are made to recruit reviewers from non-academic
institutions, minority-serving institutions, or adjacent disciplines to
that principally addressed in the proposal.
The National Science Board approved revised criteria for evaluating
proposals at its meeting on March 28, 1997 (NSB 97-72). All NSF proposals
are evaluated through use of the two merit review criteria. In some
instances, however, NSF will employ additional criteria as required to
highlight the specific objectives of certain programs and activities.
On July 8, 2002, the NSF Director issued Important Notice 127,
Implementation of new Grant Proposal Guide Requirements Related to the
Broader Impacts Criterion. This Important Notice reinforces the importance
of addressing both criteria in the preparation and review of all proposals
submitted to NSF. NSF continues to strengthen its internal processes to
ensure that both of the merit review criteria are addressed when making
funding decisions.
In an effort to increase compliance with these requirements, the January
2002 issuance of the GPG incorporated revised proposal preparation
guidelines relating to the development of the Project Summary and Project
Description. Chapter II of the GPG specifies that Principal Investigators
(PIs) must address both merit review criteria in separate statements
within the one-page Project Summary. This chapter also reiterates that
broader impacts resulting from the proposed project must be addressed in
the Project Description and described as an integral part of the
narrative.
Effective October 1, 2002, NSF will return without review proposals that
do not separately address both merit review criteria within the Project
Summary. It is believed that these changes to NSF proposal preparation and
processing guidelines will more clearly articulate the importance of
broader impacts to NSF-funded projects.
The two National Science Board approved merit review criteria are listed
below (see the Grant Proposal Guide Chapter III.A for further
information). The criteria include considerations that help define them.
These considerations are suggestions and not all will apply to any given
proposal. While proposers must address both merit review criteria,
reviewers will be asked to address only those considerations that are
relevant to the proposal being considered and for which he/she is
qualified to make judgments.
What is the intellectual merit of the proposed activity?
How important is the proposed activity to advancing knowledge and
understanding within its own field or across different fields? How well
qualified is the proposer (individual or team) to conduct the project?
(If appropriate, the reviewer will comment on the quality of the prior
work.) To what extent does the proposed activity suggest and explore
creative and original concepts? How well conceived and organized is the
proposed activity? Is there sufficient access to resources?
What are the broader impacts of the proposed activity?
How well does the activity advance discovery and understanding while
promoting teaching, training, and learning? How well does the proposed
activity broaden the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g.,
gender, ethnicity, disability, geographic, etc.)? To what extent will it
enhance the infrastructure for research and education, such as
facilities, instrumentation, networks, and partnerships? Will the
results be disseminated broadly to enhance scientific and technological
understanding? What may be the benefits of the proposed activity to
society?
NSF staff will give careful consideration to the following in making
funding decisions:
Integration of Research and Education
One of the principal strategies in support of NSF's goals is to foster
integration of research and education through the programs, projects,
and activities it supports at academic and research institutions. These
institutions provide abundant opportunities where individuals may
concurrently assume responsibilities as researchers, educators, and
students and where all can engage in joint efforts that infuse education
with the excitement of discovery and enrich research through the
diversity of learning perspectives.
Integrating Diversity into NSF Programs, Projects, and Activities
Broadening opportunities and enabling the participation of all citizens
-- women and men, underrepresented minorities, and persons with
disabilities -- is essential to the health and vitality of science and
engineering. NSF is committed to this principle of diversity and deems
it central to the programs, projects, and activities it considers and
supports.
B. Review Protocol and Associated Customer Service Standard
All proposals are carefully reviewed by at least three other persons outside
NSF who are experts in the particular field represented by the proposal.
Proposals submitted in response to this announcement/solicitation will be
reviewed by Ad Hoc and/or panel review.
Reviewers will be asked to formulate a recommendation to either support or
decline each proposal. The Program Officer assigned to manage the
proposal's review will consider the advice of reviewers and will formulate
a recommendation.
A summary rating and accompanying narrative will be completed and
submitted by each reviewer. In all cases, reviews are treated as
confidential documents. Verbatim copies of reviews, excluding the names of
the reviewers, are sent to the Principal Investigator/Project Director by
the Program Director. In addition, the proposer will receive an
explanation of the decision to award or decline funding.
NSF is striving to be able to tell applicants whether their proposals have
been declined or recommended for funding within six months. The time
interval begins on the date of receipt. The interval ends when the
Division Director accepts the Program Officer's recommendation.
In all cases, after programmatic approval has been obtained, the proposals
recommended for funding will be forwarded to the Division of Grants and
Agreements for review of business, financial, and policy implications and
the processing and issuance of a grant or other agreement. Proposers are
cautioned that only a Grants and Agreements Officer may make commitments,
obligations or awards on behalf of NSF or authorize the expenditure of
funds. No commitment on the part of NSF should be inferred from technical
or budgetary discussions with a NSF Program Officer. A Principal
Investigator or organization that makes financial or personnel commitments
in the absence of a grant or cooperative agreement signed by the NSF
Grants and Agreements Officer does so at their own risk.
VII. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
A. Notification of the Award
Notification of the award is made to the submitting organization by a
Grants Officer in the Division of Grants and Agreements. Organizations
whose proposals are declined will be advised as promptly as possible by
the cognizant NSF Program Division administering the program. Verbatim
copies of reviews, not including the identity of the reviewer, will be
provided automatically to the Principal Investigator. (See section VI.A.
for additional information on the review process.)
B. Award Conditions
An NSF award consists of: (1) the award letter, which
includes any special provisions applicable to the award and any numbered
amendments thereto; (2) the budget, which indicates the amounts, by
categories of expense, on which NSF has based its support (or otherwise
communicates any specific approvals or disapprovals of proposed
expenditures); (3) the proposal referenced in the award letter; (4) the
applicable award conditions, such as Grant General Conditions (NSF-GC-1);
* or Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP) Terms and Conditions * and
(5) any announcement or other NSF issuance that may be incorporated by
reference in the award letter. Cooperative agreement awards also are
administered in accordance with NSF Cooperative Agreement Terms and
Conditions (CA-1). Electronic mail notification is the preferred way to
transmit NSF awards to organizations that have electronic mail
capabilities and have requested such notification from the Division of
Grants and Agreements.
*These documents may be accessed electronically on NSF's Website at
http://www.nsf.gov/home/grants/grants_gac.htm. Paper copies may be
obtained from the NSF Publications Clearinghouse, telephone (301) 947-2722
or by e-mail from pubs@nsf.gov.
More comprehensive information on NSF Award Conditions is contained in the
NSF Grant Policy Manual (GPM) Chapter II, available electronically on the
NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gpm. The GPM is also for
sale through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office
(GPO), Washington, DC 20402. The telephone number at GPO for subscription
information is (202) 512-1800. The GPM may be ordered through the GPO
Website at http://www.gpo.gov.
C. Reporting Requirements
For all multi-year grants (including both standard and continuing grants),
the PI must submit an annual project report to the cognizant Program Officer
at least 90 days before the end of the current budget period.
Within 90 days after the expiration of an award, the PI also is required
to submit a final project report. Failure to provide final technical
reports delays NSF review and processing of pending proposals for the PI
and all Co-PIs. PIs should examine the formats of the required reports in
advance to assure availability of required data.
PIs are required to use NSF's electronic project reporting system,
available through FastLane, for preparation and submission of annual and
final project reports. This system permits electronic submission and
updating of project reports, including information on project participants
(individual and organizational), activities and findings, publications,
and other specific products and contributions. PIs will not be required to
re-enter information previously provided, either with a proposal or in
earlier updates using the electronic system.
VIII. CONTACTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
General inquiries regarding this program should be made to:
Lerome Jackson, Program Assistant, HRD
Phone: (703) 292-7780
For questions related to the use of FastLane, contact:
email: fastlane@nsf.gov
Victoria A. Smoot, Financial Operations Specialist, Directorate for
Education & Human Resources, Division of Human Resource Development, 815N,
telephone: (703) 292-4677, fax: (703) 292-9018, email: vsmoot@nsf.gov
IX. OTHER PROGRAMS OF INTEREST
The NSF Guide to Programs is a compilation of funding for research and
education in science, mathematics, and engineering. The NSF Guide to
Programs is available electronically at http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?gp.
General descriptions of NSF programs, research areas, and eligibility
information for proposal submission are provided in each chapter.
Many NSF programs offer announcements or solicitations concerning specific
proposal requirements. To obtain additional information about these
requirements, contact the appropriate NSF program offices. Any changes in
NSF's fiscal year programs occurring after press time for the Guide to
Programs will be announced in the NSF E-Bulletin, which is updated daily
on the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov/home/ebulletin, and in individual
program announcements/solicitations. Subscribers can also sign up for
NSF's Custom News Service (http://www.nsf.gov/home/cns/start.htm) to be
notified of new funding opportunities that become available.
Biomedical Engineering and Research to Aid Persons with Disabilities
(NSF/ENG)
Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (NSF/EHR)
Human Computer Interaction (NSF/CISE)
Small Business Innovation Research (NSF/ENG)
Teaching Professional Continuum (NSF/EHR)
Universal Access (NSF/CISE)
ABOUT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds research and education in most
fields of science and engineering. Awardees are wholly responsible for
conducting their project activities and preparing the results for publication.
Thus, the Foundation does not assume responsibility for such findings or
their interpretation.
NSF welcomes proposals from all qualified scientists, engineers and
educators. The Foundation strongly encourages women, minorities and
persons with disabilities to compete fully in its programs. In accordance
with Federal statutes, regulations and NSF policies, no person on grounds
of race, color, age, sex, national origin or disability shall be excluded
from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial
assistance from NSF, although some programs may have special requirements
that limit eligibility.
Facilitation Awards for Scientists and Engineers with Disabilities (FASED)
provide funding for special assistance or equipment to enable persons with
disabilities (investigators and other staff, including student research
assistants) to work on NSF-supported projects. See the GPG Chapter II,
Section D.2 for instructions regarding preparation of these types of
proposals.
The National Science Foundation promotes and advances scientific
progress in the United States by competitively awarding grants and
cooperative agreements for research and education in the sciences,
mathematics, and engineering.
To get the latest information about program deadlines, to download
copies of NSF publications, and to access abstracts of awards, visit
the NSF Website at http://www.nsf.gov
Location: 4201 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22230
For General Information
(NSF Information Center): (703) 292-5111
TDD (for the hearing-impaired): (703) 292-5090
To Order Publications or Forms:
Send an e-mail to:pubs@nsf.gov
or telephone:(301) 947-2722
To Locate NSF Employees: (703) 292-5111
PRIVACY ACT AND PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENTS
The information requested on
proposal forms and project reports is solicited under the authority of the
National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended. The information on
proposal forms will be used in connection with the selection of qualified
proposals; project reports submitted by awardees will be used for program
evaluation and reporting within the Executive Branch and to Congress. The
information requested may be disclosed to qualified reviewers and staff
assistants as part of the proposal review process; to applicant
institutions/grantees to provide or obtain data regarding the proposal
review process, award decisions, or the administration of awards; to
government contractors, experts, volunteers and researchers and educators
as necessary to complete assigned work; to other government agencies
needing information as part of the review process or in order to
coordinate programs; and to another Federal agency, court or party in a
court or Federal administrative proceeding if the government is a party.
Information about Principal Investigators may be added to the Reviewer
file and used to select potential candidates to serve as peer reviewers or
advisory committee members. See Systems of Records, NSF-50, "Principal
Investigator/Proposal File and Associated Records," 63 Federal Register
267 (January 5, 1998), and NSF-51, "Reviewer/Proposal File and Associated
Records," 63 Federal Register 268 (January 5, 1998). Submission of the
information is voluntary. Failure to provide full and complete
information, however, may reduce the possibility of receiving an award.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to
respond to an information collection unless it displays a valid OMB
control number. The OMB control number for this collection is 3145-0058.
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to
average 120 hours per response, including the time for reviewing
instructions. Send comments regarding this burden estimate and any other
aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for
reducing this burden, to: Suzanne Plimpton, Reports Clearance Officer,
Division of Administrative Services, National Science Foundation,
Arlington, VA 22230.
OMB control number: 3145-0058.
NSF 03-587
Replaces 02-177